Hitting the jackpot and the health agenda: the case of processed potato products

摘要

One of the models in the industrial organisation literature considers that firms aim to "hit the jackpot", i.e., to introduce new products that are successfully uptaken by consumers, and therefore, remain on retailers' shelves for a long time. This paper studies the implications of such a type of competition for the health agenda aiming at improving the nutritional quality of the available food products focusing on the processed potato products category. The analysis indicates that one should not expect the assortment of products to change and the most effective public policy would be the enforcement of product reformulation.